Public can see preliminary Highlands school budget beginning Tuesday

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Highlands School District residents can get a look at the district’s preliminary $46 million budget for the 2019-20 school year beginning Tuesday, according to a legal notice from the district.

The district will seek approval from the state Department of Education to increase property taxes by more than its state-imposed limit of 3.3 percent without a voter referendum based on special education and retirement costs, according to the notice and district officials.

The tax rate is now 24.63 mills, following a 3.5 percent increase, the maximum allowed by the district’s Act 1 limit, for the 2018-19 school year.

The budget will be available for public inspection starting Tuesday at the district’s administrative center, located behind Highlands High School at 1500 Pacific Ave.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the preliminary budget when it meets at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 18 in the high school library.

A week before voting on the budget, the school board will hold a public hearing on permanently closing the current Highlands Support Center, formerly known as Fawn Elementary School.

The hearing will start at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 11 in the library at Highlands High School, ahead of the board’s agenda meeting beginning at 7 p.m.